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PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY, BY I JAMES MeCAFFERTY, MACINTOSH'S TREET, OPPOSITE TOST OFFICE. Terms of Paper. —For a single copy, one year, Two Dom.ars: for six copies. Ten Dollars; for thirteen copies, Twen ty Dollars, payable in advance. Advertise me nts will be inserted at 50 cents per square for the first insertion, and 25 cents for each continuance — Twelve lines to constitute a square. A liberal deduction to yearly advertisers. rjr No letters taken from the Post Office unless postage free. Officers Aujusta VV. T. A Society. Dr JOS. A. EVE, President. Dr. DANIEL HOOK, J Rev. WM. J. HARD, > Vice Presidents HAWKINS HUFF, Esq. ) WM. HAINES, Jr. Secretary. L. D. LALLERSTEDT, Treasurer. Managers: James Harper, IE. E. Scofield, Rev. C. S. Dod, James Godby, John Milled jc, 1 Gypsum as Manure. For Potatoes —The Following results of gypsum on potatoes are furnished by the Rev. T. Skepworth, of Yorkshire: “In a plot of land which had last spring been richly manured for early po tatoes, we apportioned three rows fur the following experiment: When the sets were cut they were immediately dipped into powdered gypsum: they were then placed in the trenches, when a small por tion of gypsum was sprinkled upon each set. The trenches were then filled up with earth, and a little more gypsum : sprinkled the whole length of the rows as j a top dressing. lam now convinced the j top dressing is much better applied when they are about two or three inches out of the ground and very wet. This finished the process, in which, as nearly as we could calculate, we used about fifteen bushels of gypsum per acre. I must here state, that the gypsumed and ungyp sumed rows immediately adjoined ench other; but that if, as to the precise posi tion of each, in point of free exposure to sun and air, there was any difference, it was in favor of the ungypsomed rows. “On taking up and carefully weigh ing off the produce of the gymsumed rows against the same number <>t ungyp sumed, we had an extra produce from the gypsum of full 24 sacks, of 12 pecks each, per sack.” Second experiment. —A plot of old swarth was. lust spring, broken up for potatoes. The greater part of the crop grew most luxuriantly ; hut the remain der, from being planted near the roots of some fruit trees, exhibited, in the spin died growth of their tops, a striking evi deuce of the exceeding poverty of the soil. 'Fhe grower determined upon a tri al of gypsum on this part, on which he applied a top-dressing. A gentle rain falling a few days afterwards, put the gypsum into aetion, the effect was the astonishment of all who saw it—the gyp sum seeming to impart an almost magic energy to these poor and pnnv tops; and in defiance of the extremely ex hausted condition of that part of the soil upon which the experiment was tri ed, and the consequent backwardness of the crop, the gypsumed potatoes were amongst the finest in the plot. © Sl ilaSTe © y¥. For the Wathingtoninn. The niue Ribbon. A TALE OF THE SEA. BY MARCUS. Break, phantarie, from thy cave of cloud, And wave thy purple wings, Now all thy figures are allowed, And various shapes of things. Ben. Johnson. Whether, or not, writers on moral ethics would consider it wrong to indulge the imagination in some of its wayward j flights, it is not for us to consider in this little story; but if any one of them should assume a position, and endeavor to maintain, that we should at all times confine ourselves down to simple verity, we have no doubt but that a host of gloves would be cast into the arena of argument, to challenge and test the soundness of the premises he occupied, for we have the imagination to produce the happiest results, by wandering in the regions of hyperbolia, to find subjects to enliven and cheer up a ship’s company, on a long and monotonous voyage. And when every other species of amusement had become insipid, that kind of nauti cal narrative, called “ Tough Yarn,” nev er failed to invigorate and vivify the spirits of the crew. An officer, in com mand of one of his Brittanic Majesty’s frigates, reported to the admiralty, that, being placed on a very sickly West India station, a for story-tellers on board bis AUGUSTA WASHINGTMIANJ A WEEKLY PAPER: DEVOTED TO TEMPERANCE, AGRICULTURE, & MISCELLANEOUS READINGS. . I , i.-- f ,« . i j Vol. III.] ship had kept the crew in such a cheer- j ful condition, that the physician was a | useless apendage to the vessel, while on | that cruise. Our health had been rapidly declining under a severe course of study, and our many friends saw with anxietv, the freshness of health faded from our cheek. They knew if we continued in our pur suit, that our career must terminate very briefly; after consulting many eminent physicians on the subject, it was finally resolved that a change of scene was the best means to be resorted to, and a voy age to the south of France was deter mined upon. Accordingly every prepa ration was made for us to set out, and when the day arrived for our departure, we went around to take leave of our most intimate friends; the partings were j hitter enough, and some of them seemed to look at us with such a fixed and mel ; ancholy gaze, that we thought it ominous ! and began to fancy that we were looking ! at them for the last time. As we were walking down one of the fashionable streets of the seaport, from which we were to sail, we saw a lady ! whose form was of the most exquisite j contour, issue from the portal of a fine mansion, and wend her way like a fairy thing along the street, and just behind her, an old weather beaten child of the ocean was making headway, in the same | course. The lady had not proceeded far, when a broad piece of blue ribbon which we conceived had served as a hair-tie, by some means got loose, and disenga ging itself from under her light bonnet, J performed a number of gyrations in the air, and after floating a few minutes in , the breeze, fell as softly as a snow-flake, | upon the ground. Jack had watched the ribbon as it floated about, and saw with ; infinite satisfaction, that it alighted a few i paces from him ; a smile lit the old fel | low’s countenance as he stooped to pick ' it up ; he looked at the ribbon, and then | looked at the lady, who was now some distance ahead. “ Well, well” said Jack, turning his quid in his month, “ shiver my timbers if this piece of ribbon aint more than I expected to win on this cruise. That little craft, which lost her pennant, is the trime-st built sailer I’ve seen on this line.” Then holding the ribbon in his hand, he gazed on it a few moments with pleasure depicted in his countenance. Putting his hand in his jacket pocket he drew out an old leath ern pocket-book, and untying it, he fold ed the ribbon up carrfully and placed it among its folds, and thrust it into his pocket again ; and then squirting about la gill of tobacco juice in the eyes of a little dog that was rambling near him, he leisurely resumed his walk. It was a glorious sight to greet our eyes, the broad blue ocean, “ without a mark, without a bound ;” and our heart swelled with a thrilling joy to gaze on its azure expanse, while our bark flew as merily as a falcon on the wing along its ! surface. As the night cpme down upon us, a terrific storm agitated the bosom of the deep, and under her closely reefed I sails, our ship flew like an arrow before the blast. In the darkness of the night .the electric fluid lit on each mast head, and at the end of the yards, like so many goblin lanterns, burning with a “blue infernal light.” We could not endure this state of things long, for the “soul sickened on the heaving wave,” and for the next three days knew nothing of what was going on. When we again came on deck, a wonderful change had taken place—the ocean lay before us like a sheet of polished glass—no wave, or rip let broke the stillness of the waters; ev ery sail was set to catch the least breath of air that might come along, but they hung idly against the mast; and never before or since, was seen such stillness on the waters of the Atlantic; for our bark lay upon the bosom of the mighty deep, AUGUSTA, GA. FEBRUARY 1, 1845. “ As idle as a painted ship,; Upon a painted ocean.” Our ship was a large merchantman, in the Havre trade; we had but few passengers, and among the few, we could not find one congenial spirit to while 1 away the hours. Our captain was a fine open-hearted fellow, but could not | spare us much of his time; so for want of better company we strayed forward among the sailors. Part of those who were not on the w’atch, were engaged in spinning yarn for splicing and other work; others were whistling for the wind to rise, and some were calling on Saint Anthony to blow his nose, in hopes that he might awaken the slumbering winds to their duty. Around the fore castle, sat a parly of old tars engaged in conversation, and as we approached, a long and loud laugh convulsed the party, produced by the narration of some won drous story, told by one of the mess; we took our seat near them, in order to listen to their conversation, and perhaps to glean from their circle some new item of ocean life. “ Now, Jack,” said an old tar, “you hare been sponging long enough on us for stories, so let us hear some of your cruisings. There must be a grent deal of yarn in your locker, for very little has ever out of it.”— Jack smiled, and commenced by clearing his throat, and taking a fresh chew of tobacco: “You all know, my lads,” said he, “ that I am not in the habit of spinning yarns, and what I am going to tell you is just as true, as that there is work for us to night, in that little cloud rising off there to the windward. Many years ago, when I was serving my lime in the merchant service up the Levant, I was in high favor with the skipper, because I saved his little boy from drowning, one day, at the risk of my own life. The skipper was a good soul any how, and he always allowed me to go on shore when ever the boat left the ship, knowing that I always kept straight and never went out of my latitude ; I was in the habit of carrying messages to different persons on shore, and I always done the work so well, that I always got the job to do.— The skipper sent me ashore one day with some letters to give to an old gen tleman, who lived about a biscuit-throw from where we were to land, and he or dered me to wait for an answer. As I was going among decent folks, I thought I would rig up a little; so I went to my locker and drew out my blue swallow tail, that I used to wear in my young days, and having manned the boat I stepped over the gunnel, and a few sweeps of the oars put us ashore. I stepped from the boat and steered on a straight course to de liver my errand. Up I goes to the door, and gives two or three raps with my fist, and in a minute it was opened by one of the neatest little crafts I ever laid my eyes on; her hull and figure head beat any thing I ever spoke in all my cruisings, and before I fired a gun, she made my heart strike its colors, and she could have taken me in tow without re sistance. As I was genteelly rigged up she asked me to walk in, and I was shown into the parlor; I did not feel ship-shape in such a fine place, so I thought I would get out of it as soon as possible. Believing she was the old man’s daughter, I said I wished to see her father, and that was the reason why I had cast anchor. She said that he was not at home, but if I would wait a few minutes he would probably come in, and that she would endeavor to amuse me du ring the while. Then she began to talk about the sea and the dreadful storms, and how the poor sailors must suffer, when on the ocean; and the little thing talked so kindly to me, that I began to like her. I told her some long winded stories about what a glorious life it was, and how I used to do when I was skipper of a whaler in the south seas.*’ (“Mindi lads, he said he was no yarn spinner,”) interrupted another old tar. Jack smiled and continued, “ Well, after a while, she asks me if I was fond of music—l told her yes; so she goes to the table and un locks a queer looking box, and takes out a guitar. ‘Give us the Bay of Bis cay,’ says I, ah she took her seat and commenced screwing it up. She began to sing, and her voice was as soft as a three knot breeze, but the strumming of the guitar was not half so pleasant as the rolling of the holy stone along the deck. After she got through, I commenced ma king love to her in good earnest; and be fore the old gentleman came homo, I thought that I had cleared the breakers, and was making good headway under a heavy press of canvass to the open sen of love. At length the old lubber came home, and he looked as sullen as a bear with a sore head ; he stepped up and ask ed me my business, and I handed him the letters. He tore them open and ex amined their cargo, and then left the room to write an answer to them. While he was gone I entreated the little charm er to let me come to see her again—she did not seem willing at first, but after a while she told me I could come if I could prevent her father from seeing me, be cause he did not allow any one to visit her. I tell you, hoys, when she granted my request, I felt greater than any skip per that ever trod the deck of a seventy four—l returned on hoard the ship, but I could do nothing for thinking of that little craft—l dreamt about her over and over, and sung the Bay of Biscay all the time, until I began to think that il was all over with me, and that I would have to anchor on shore, so that I could bear away my prize. We lay off that shore (or some time, and whenever the boat went ashore I was in her, and as soon as I landed I would look about for the old codger, and as soon as I saw him busy I would make a straight track for the house ; we met a great many times, and finally 1 asked her if she would let the preacher splice us; we talked the matter over, and I persuaded her to run off from the old man, and when she con sented I nearly jumped out of my skin. So we fixed matters and appointed a day when I should come on shore, and put an end to the business by having a wedding. When I was about to leave, she took a piece of broad blue ribbon which hung about her neck, and gave it to me, telling me that my heart must prove as true as that color. After kissing her an hundred times and bidding her good bye as ma ny more, I returned on board the ship.” “But where was her mother,” said an old chap, who had been winking at the others, while Jack was narrating. “I never thought once of nsking her if she had any mother,” said Jack ; “ because she looked so much like an angel; but to go on, I wanted some help to carry my scheme on, so I goes to Ben Marlinspike and lets him into the secret, and he agreed to help me out; but when the day for the wedding came around, somebody goes to the skipper and tells him that I was going to desert, and when he found that it was a fact, he ordered me below and put me in irons ; and though my love was strong, it could not begin to break through the irons that I was bound with. I always thought that Beq let the cat out of the bag; and if ever I find him out, I will make his head like a stone cutter’s mal let, and that is neither round, square nor oval. We sailed from that port the next day, and this piece of ribbon,” said Jack, pulling out his pocket-book, “is all that I have left of her; and many a tear have I shed over it.” The sailors looked at the ribbpn, and we looked at Jack, and recognized him. “ Why Jack,”said we, “that is the piece of ribbon you picked up in the street before we left port.— Don’t you remember ?” Jack was thun derstruck ; and the sailor* began laugh- WASHINGTONIAN TOTAL ABSTINENCE PLEDGE. We, whose names are hereunto arr nexeii, desirous of forming a Society f>r our mutual benefit, and to guard *g t nst a pernicious practice, which is injurious to our health, standing and fannlie-i, do pledge ourselves as Gentlemen, not to drink any Spirituous or Malt Liquors, Wine or Cider. [No. 29. ing at him and slapping him on the back, until Jack began to laugh himself and acknowledged that he had told a yarn. An Irish Hedge School. Mr* Kohl, in his late interesting work on Ireland, thus describes a “Hede° School “ I had an opportunity, by the roadside, of seeing a genuine Irish'hedge school, and truly an interesting and affecting spectacle it was. The school house was a clay cabin, roofed with sods, and with out so much as a window. The smaller of the ragged scholars sat as close as they could to the entrance, towards which they turned their books, to catch as much as possible of the light without. Some were lying on the ground; behind these were a few seated on a hoard, and behind these were a few taller boys lean ing over those in front, likewise to catch the light. The teacher was seated in the midst of the group; and was clad in what I have already described as the national costume of the country. In a book of Irish sketches, the picture would have been invaluable. And I was sorry I had not a daguerreotype apparatus with me to perpetuate the impression. In front of the schoolroom lay as many pieces of tuft as there were students within, each boy having brought it as a tribute to his teacher. As I entered the narrow en trance, the dominie rose from an invert ed butter cask, on which he had sat en throned. “Indeed, I am very sorry, your honor,” said he, “ (hat I have not the opportunity of offering you a chair.” He was teach ing his pupils the English alphabet, and they all looked fresh and cheerful, not withstanding i their poverty —as indeed most Irish children do, in the country at least, despite their ragged attire and scan ty food. “ Both children and teacher lived some way from their school-house, which stood bv the side of the road. When the hours of study were over, the boys thrust their spelling hooks into their pockets—and the master afier having fastened the door of bis college, collects the tributary tuft into a sack, throws the burden over his shoul der, and haying grasped his staff, trudges away to his cabin, on the other side of the bog.” Johnathan Slick on Bustles. In his celebrated work called High Life in New York, Johnathan thus en larges on the prominent fashion of the day, while giving an account of “ sirar u:y” or “ conversationry ” he attended at the splendid mansion of his cousin John. Speaking of his cousin’s wife, he says— “l looked at hur purty earnestly, I can tell you—and I do think she would have been a crittur that John might be proud of—it it war’nt for that stuck up • way she’s got sense she come down here to York. I nevur seen a criitur’s back stuck up as her’n was; I ra!y thought she was getting the rickets, and I felt so ankshus about it, that I turned to cousin John afore I went up to speak to her, and sez I, sort of low, “ Cousin John, how did your wife hurt hur back so ? It makes me feel orfully to see what a great hump she’s a growin’ sense she’s cum awav from Cunneclercut.” With that Cousin John looked at her and larfed a leetle, but I could see ho did’nt feel right, and arter a minit, he said, sez he, “ Hush ! cousin, you must not speak so loud, its true Mary has put on rather too much bustle but its the fashion, you see.” I looked around and as tru as yu live, thar war’nt a gal in the room that hadent her back a stickin’ out the same way. Such a set of humpbacked crittur’s I never did put my eyes on ; and yet they all stood about a smilin’ and taikin to the fellers as if nuthin’ ailed them ! Poor things!!” A traveller who spent some time in Turkey, relates a beautiful parable which was told him by a dervis, and which seems even more beautiful than Sterne’s celebrated figure of the accusing spirit and recording angel. Every man, said he, has two angels, one on his right shoul der and one on his left. When he does any thing good, the angel on his right shoulder writes it down and seals it; be cause what is once well done, is done forever. When he has done evil, the an gel on his left shoulder writes it down, but does not seal it. He waits till mid* night. If before that time the man bows down his head and exclaims, ‘ Gra cious Allah ! I have sinned—forgive me!’ the angel rubs it out; but if not, at mid night he seals it. and the angel upon the right shoulder weeps.